Please Help Me Buy a Flashlight!

[prndltech]

I do suggest headlamp, like the petzl mentioned, or a black diamond. They’re cheap and very handy for all kinds of things.

Streamlight is my personal favorite flashlight brand because I’ve been using and abusing their lights at work every day, on almost every car, for well over a decade. They get thrown, kicked, dropped, submerged in coolant drain buckets, you name it.

Here’s my “new” ones

[Sharp Guy]

I was in the market about a year ago. Some good info in the thread below. I ended up going with Olight but understand there's a lot of great choices out there. I now have several lights that I bought on sale. Black Friday and Christmas are a great time to get them on discount. I also ended up buying a replacement for the AA Maglight that I mention in that thread. It's nice (LED etc) but I rarely use it. The Olights are just so much better (smaller, brighter, magnetic tail caps, more features, etc). Even the tiny ones that I keep in my pocket see a lot more use and they're incredibly bright for their size. I also ended up buying Enloop rechargeable batteries for the lights I have that use AA & AAA. They're worth every penny IMO

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=82033&hilit=flashlight

Here's some of the one's I have. The small ones on the right were all freebies. I actually use those the most. I have multiples of all except S2R Baton II on the left. The little S1 Baton (now S1R Baton II) is probably my favorite but the little AAA I3EOS is what I have in my pocket (along with a Manbug) every day.

[Doc Dan]

I’ve got a COB LED small light that shines with 200 lumens that I use a lot. It was like 4 or 5 bucks at ACE. There is a small 300 lumen headlamp in the same series, but is more money.

[ChrisinHove]

I carry a Petzl Zipka as back up or when I need both hands free. It’s about the size of half a golf ball, and has a retractable head strap. Brilliant, in all respects.

My main work flashlight is a 18650 Solarforce P60 host with a dual output Eagtac triple. Cheap, bright and reliable. I do need flood rather than throw, admittedly.

It’s not the whizziest or latest, but I really don’t need to faff about with multiple modes or ramping outputs when working. I’ve used this everyday for the last 5 years or so and only had to replace a tail switch when I dropped it from a ladder, that’s all. I replaced that with a guarded switch to prevent a repeat.

[murphjd25]

I’ve been very happy with Fenix and Streamlight. My two main edc lights are a Fenix PD35x and Streamlight Scorpion, both 1000 lumens I believe. More then enough for anything you need.

[emanuel]

Have a look at Thrunite TC15. I have it for 1 year now, it washes on the floor with way more expensive olights I've handled, and it's just 50 bucks on Amazon. Very solid construction, water proof, multiple intensity selections, high quality LEDs and mirror, battery life is amazing on the more conservative power settings etc. As for the color filters, I believe you can buy some separately.

http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-tc15-2 ... -included/

[BLUETYPEII]

Done

[JD Spydo]

I'm needing some help from you all. First off these are some really good and most interesting recommendations you all have shared so far. But I'm just a bit perplexed as to how some of the brands that were at the top of the charts 8 to 10 years ago are no longer even being mentioned. Even though many of them are still in business and still high quality units>> but are being shunned for whatever reason :confused:

Take Surefire for instance:: That was my first high tech flashlight ever and continues to be my personal favorite. The newest one I got is a real flamethrower and can withstand extremely harsh conditions and performs flawlessly. But it seems as though Surefire, Four Sevens and Streamlight are some of the brands that are no longer in the spot light any more it doesn't seem. Actually they seem to be getting black listed and shunned for some reason. Yeah I know that a couple of the older brands are pricey and many of the newer flashlight companies

Now I do like Fenix and a couple of other lower priced units. But I was at a friend's house this past weekend and he was showing me a new unit he just got at the local Bass Pro store that was made by "Coastal">> He was really proud of it and I thought it wasn't even as good as an older MagLite for crying out loud.

So what gives?? Why has Surefire and Streamlight both seem to be a pariah all of a sudden. Yeah I know that they cost a little more but what high quality tools don't cost more>> Flashlights in my opinion are in the "You Get What You Pay For" category.

[Sharp Guy]

I'm needing some help from you all. First off these are some really good and most interesting recommendations you all have shared so far. But I'm just a bit perplexed as to how some of the brands that were at the top of the charts 8 to 10 years ago are no longer even being mentioned. Even though many of them are still in business and still high quality units>> but are being shunned for whatever reason :confused:

Take Surefire for instance:: That was my first high tech flashlight ever and continues to be my personal favorite. The newest one I got is a real flamethrower and can withstand extremely harsh conditions and performs flawlessly. But it seems as though Surefire, Four Sevens and Streamlight are some of the brands that are no longer in the spot light any more it doesn't seem. Actually they seem to be getting black listed and shunned for some reason. Yeah I know that a couple of the older brands are pricey and many of the newer flashlight companies

Now I do like Fenix and a couple of other lower priced units. But I was at a friend's house this past weekend and he was showing me a new unit he just got at the local Bass Pro store that was made by "Coastal">> He was really proud of it and I thought it wasn't even as good as an older MagLite for crying out loud.

So what gives?? Why has Surefire and Streamlight both seem to be a pariah all of a sudden. Yeah I know that they cost a little more but what high quality tools don't cost more>> Flashlights in my opinion are in the "You Get What You Pay For" category.

I don't see why you think people are shunning Surefire & Streamlight. I assume that the people who have responded just don't own those so they dont have an opinion on them. I'm sure they're both awesome brands. But let's face it, there's an overwhelming amount of choices out there. I opted for Olight because I liked what I saw and I liked the price (Black Friday deals). I could've easily settled on something else. That Thrunite TC15 that emanuel mentioned is intriguing formthe price. I almost ordered one from Amazon but had to reel myself in. Don't need another light lol.

[prndltech]

I'm needing some help from you all. First off these are some really good and most interesting recommendations you all have shared so far. But I'm just a bit perplexed as to how some of the brands that were at the top of the charts 8 to 10 years ago are no longer even being mentioned. Even though many of them are still in business and still high quality units>> but are being shunned for whatever reason :confused:

Take Surefire for instance:: That was my first high tech flashlight ever and continues to be my personal favorite. The newest one I got is a real flamethrower and can withstand extremely harsh conditions and performs flawlessly. But it seems as though Surefire, Four Sevens and Streamlight are some of the brands that are no longer in the spot light any more it doesn't seem. Actually they seem to be getting black listed and shunned for some reason. Yeah I know that a couple of the older brands are pricey and many of the newer flashlight companies

Now I do like Fenix and a couple of other lower priced units. But I was at a friend's house this past weekend and he was showing me a new unit he just got at the local Bass Pro store that was made by "Coastal">> He was really proud of it and I thought it wasn't even as good as an older MagLite for crying out loud.

So what gives?? Why has Surefire and Streamlight both seem to be a pariah all of a sudden. Yeah I know that they cost a little more but what high quality tools don't cost more>> Flashlights in my opinion are in the "You Get What You Pay For" category.

I don't see why you think people are shunning Surefire & Streamlight. I assume that the people who have responded just don't own those so they dont have an opinion on them. I'm sure they're both awesome brands. But let's face it, there's an overwhelming amount of choices out there. I opted for Olight because I liked what I saw and I liked the price (Black Friday deals). I could've easily settled on something else. That Thrunite TC15 that emanuel mentioned is intriguing formthe price. I almost ordered one from Amazon but had to reel myself in. Don't need another light lol.

Sure fire and streamlight used to be the “only” games in town “used by professionals”
But as with everything else, time goes on and technology advances and becomes cheaper. I think some of these “new” brands of lights may be more edc friendly.

It’s all personal preference, as with everything else. Surefire and streamlight didn’t start sucking out of nowhere. It’s much like how vg-10 and s30v “used to be great” but now they are deemed “boring” and “borderline unacceptable” to the masses or so it seems...

[Ankerson]

I would still get a Sure Fire if I was going to get one of that type.

[SF Native]

I agree with what others have said. There is a lot of competition. Don’t remember why I went with the rechargeable olight but I’m really impressed. I was given a nebo slyde, which is a cool light but it started to malfunction on me. The olight has been perfect for the few years that I have had it.
Wondering about led technology and what makes some chips better than others. One source said the heat disappation is key to along lasting chip (or diode). I can imagine some companies are not doing this part right and we won’t know for a while.

[Ankerson]

I'm needing some help from you all. First off these are some really good and most interesting recommendations you all have shared so far. But I'm just a bit perplexed as to how some of the brands that were at the top of the charts 8 to 10 years ago are no longer even being mentioned. Even though many of them are still in business and still high quality units>> but are being shunned for whatever reason :confused:

Take Surefire for instance:: That was my first high tech flashlight ever and continues to be my personal favorite. The newest one I got is a real flamethrower and can withstand extremely harsh conditions and performs flawlessly. But it seems as though Surefire, Four Sevens and Streamlight are some of the brands that are no longer in the spot light any more it doesn't seem. Actually they seem to be getting black listed and shunned for some reason. Yeah I know that a couple of the older brands are pricey and many of the newer flashlight companies

Now I do like Fenix and a couple of other lower priced units. But I was at a friend's house this past weekend and he was showing me a new unit he just got at the local Bass Pro store that was made by "Coastal">> He was really proud of it and I thought it wasn't even as good as an older MagLite for crying out loud.

So what gives?? Why has Surefire and Streamlight both seem to be a pariah all of a sudden. Yeah I know that they cost a little more but what high quality tools don't cost more>> Flashlights in my opinion are in the "You Get What You Pay For" category.

I don't see why you think people are shunning Surefire & Streamlight. I assume that the people who have responded just don't own those so they dont have an opinion on them. I'm sure they're both awesome brands. But let's face it, there's an overwhelming amount of choices out there. I opted for Olight because I liked what I saw and I liked the price (Black Friday deals). I could've easily settled on something else. That Thrunite TC15 that emanuel mentioned is intriguing formthe price. I almost ordered one from Amazon but had to reel myself in. Don't need another light lol.

From what I have seeing overall is that like MOST others things people tend to go for the cheaper options. They are NOT actually better however, they are just cheaper. Reason why there is so much junk on the market across the board.

Now yes there are some newer ones that are in the same price range as the Surefires, but you don't hear about those as much either.

That Olight Baton Pro is one of those... Slightly cheaper than Surefire, but still much more than the typical ones people are buying.

I was laughing when I was looking at the different options because the junk had tons of reviews and was easy to find, not so much for the higher end models.

Pretty much like most things these days from what I have been seeing.

Typical...


This thread made me actually look into the different types of lights that are out now.

[Ankerson]

Here are some of mine anyway....

[ugaarguy]

I'm needing some help from you all. First off these are some really good and most interesting recommendations you all have shared so far. But I'm just a bit perplexed as to how some of the brands that were at the top of the charts 8 to 10 years ago are no longer even being mentioned. Even though many of them are still in business and still high quality units>> but are being shunned for whatever reason :confused:

Take Surefire for instance:: That was my first high tech flashlight ever and continues to be my personal favorite. The newest one I got is a real flamethrower and can withstand extremely harsh conditions and performs flawlessly. But it seems as though Surefire, Four Sevens and Streamlight are some of the brands that are no longer in the spot light any more it doesn't seem. Actually they seem to be getting black listed and shunned for some reason. Yeah I know that a couple of the older brands are pricey and many of the newer flashlight companies

Now I do like Fenix and a couple of other lower priced units. But I was at a friend's house this past weekend and he was showing me a new unit he just got at the local Bass Pro store that was made by "Coastal">> He was really proud of it and I thought it wasn't even as good as an older MagLite for crying out loud.

So what gives?? Why has Surefire and Streamlight both seem to be a pariah all of a sudden. Yeah I know that they cost a little more but what high quality tools don't cost more>> Flashlights in my opinion are in the "You Get What You Pay For" category.

Surefire and Streamlight were very slow to add support for common rechargeable batteries. Compared to Olight's bi-directional pocket clip, and a few others, SF and SL have mediocre pocket clips. They haven't added features like a sub-lumen moonlight mode that's useful both in EDC and professional applications. There are lights with better UIs both for EDC and professional applications. SF and SL don't pay attention to tint, much less CRI. Surefire and Streamlight just got outpaced in the market. I can compare the features of my Olight M2R to Ankerson's SF EDCL2-T if that would be helpful to you.

[ugaarguy]

If anyone wants to try the Byrd Knives of Thrunite Flashlights, Amazon has a 30% off digital instant coupon on the Wowtac A1, bringing the price down to $13.99 - https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Pocke ... 7PWK5DRQ//. The UI has an oddity or two, but it's easy enough to work around. It's a heck of a deal for a complete package of a pretty good light, a good battery, and a charging cable.

[Ankerson]

I'm needing some help from you all. First off these are some really good and most interesting recommendations you all have shared so far. But I'm just a bit perplexed as to how some of the brands that were at the top of the charts 8 to 10 years ago are no longer even being mentioned. Even though many of them are still in business and still high quality units>> but are being shunned for whatever reason :confused:

Take Surefire for instance:: That was my first high tech flashlight ever and continues to be my personal favorite. The newest one I got is a real flamethrower and can withstand extremely harsh conditions and performs flawlessly. But it seems as though Surefire, Four Sevens and Streamlight are some of the brands that are no longer in the spot light any more it doesn't seem. Actually they seem to be getting black listed and shunned for some reason. Yeah I know that a couple of the older brands are pricey and many of the newer flashlight companies

Now I do like Fenix and a couple of other lower priced units. But I was at a friend's house this past weekend and he was showing me a new unit he just got at the local Bass Pro store that was made by "Coastal">> He was really proud of it and I thought it wasn't even as good as an older MagLite for crying out loud.

So what gives?? Why has Surefire and Streamlight both seem to be a pariah all of a sudden. Yeah I know that they cost a little more but what high quality tools don't cost more>> Flashlights in my opinion are in the "You Get What You Pay For" category.

Surefire and Streamlight were very slow to add support for common rechargeable batteries. Compared to Olight's bi-directional pocket clip, and a few others, SF and SL have mediocre pocket clips. They haven't added features like a sub-lumen moonlight mode that's useful both in EDC and professional applications. There are lights with better UIs both for EDC and professional applications. SF and SL don't pay attention to tint, much less CRI. Surefire and Streamlight just got outpaced in the market. I can compare the features of my Olight M2R to Ankerson's SF EDCL2-T if that would be helpful to you.

I don't care for rechargeable batteries personally other than in cameras, those are VERY advanced however.

The CR123's are cheap enough and they last awhile, at least in the SF's they do if you get the SF batteries.

OLIGHT makes some good lights, the one you have is good, but still A LOT more expensive than the typical ones people are buying...

As far as features go in general, that's if you really NEED them or not. I have variable lumen lights and hardly ever used them that way personally, it's usually on or off. Not high, med or low or strobe or added in levels etc.

I am personally not going to go out and buy another light because it has more features that I doubt I will use or need.

[013]

I would recommend Elzetta. They are expensive, but they are extremely well made & simple to operate. The discharge rate is pretty flat & they are one of the only few companies that actually put out the lumens they advertise without stepping down.
Another great company is Malkoff. Although I don't own any, all I hear is great things about them too.
Finally there's HDS. Also top notch.
I understand that these three might be out of your price range, but they are solid investments. All three are manufactured in the USA.

[ugaarguy]

Ankerson, yes, the Olight M2R is a much higher priced light than most of the big box store or infomercial junk people buy. That $14 sale priced Wowtac I linked to is also much better than most of the junk we've seen. When the included battery is factored in, that Wowtac is a great deal at the $20 regular price. At the $14 sale price, I bought one to keep as a backup or loaner light.

As good as Surefire branded CR123A batteries are (they're made for SF by Panasonic), CR123A batteries simply don't have the capacity nor the discharge rate to match modern rechargeables. I still keep some quality CR123A primaries around for emergencies because of their long shelf life. I only run them in single cell lights though. For sustained run time at high output single rechargeable cells are much safer.

The M2R is beautiful in the respect that the tail switch is a simple on or off with momentary or constant, always in turbo mode. It's just like a single output clicky on a Suerfire. The side switch gives me access to the other modes, with memory, along with shortcuts to the highest and lowest modes. I frequently use moonlight and the lower modes.

I understand not buying another light when you already have a handful that do everything you want.

[Ankerson]

Ankerson, yes, the Olight M2R is a much higher priced light than most of the big box store or infomercial junk people buy. That $14 sale priced Wowtac I linked to is also much better than most of the junk we've seen. When the included battery is factored in, that Wowtac is a great deal at the $20 regular price. At the $14 sale price, I bought one to keep as a backup or loaner light.

As good as Surefire branded CR123A batteries are (they're made for SF by Panasonic), CR123A batteries simply don't have the capacity nor the discharge rate to match modern rechargeables. I still keep some quality CR123A primaries around for emergencies because of their long shelf life. I only run them in single cell lights though. For sustained run time at high output single rechargeable cells are much safer.

The M2R is beautiful in the respect that the tail switch is a simple on or off with momentary or constant, always in turbo mode. It's just like a single output clicky on a Suerfire. The side switch gives me access to the other modes, with memory, along with shortcuts to the highest and lowest modes. I frequently use moonlight and the lower modes.

I understand not buying another light when you already have a handful that do everything you want.

That was the point I was trying to make, people are buying the junk from what I have been seeing.

The forums are littered with them, much more so than with people who have the good ones.

Was browsing them, a few different ones.

Even on the knife forums people are getting the junk etc for the most part.

A lot of it on the guns forums too.

None of it was surprising however as it seems to be across the board no matter what topic/hobby you are into these days.

Then people ask why there is so much junk on the market?

Well if people wouldn't buy it in the 1st place.

Like I said I was looking into it all because of this thread and it was depressing really... ROFL :rolleyes: :D

When I spend my money I like to buy something that is good quality, that way I only have to buy it once.